Just wondering: when you hear the word, Kind, what goes through your mind? What is your definition of Kindness? How does a Kind Person behave? Is a Kind Person considered strong or weak?
These thoughts went through my mind as I reflected on the contrast between various Kindness memes posted on Facebook and the reality of how some people express themselves in the Comments section of Facebook or on X ("formerly know as Twitter").
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| How do you respond when there are disagreements? (Photo credit: Facebook download) |
Sometimes, there is a harshness and an accusatory nature to people's interactions online and in the written word. What is off-putting: The words? The tone? The labeling?
Kindness? Am I missing the kindness in a person's raw honesty? Or is kindness absent when we disagree?
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| Do you choose to be kind... all the time? (Photo credit: Banksy, Facebook download) |
You can see that I have a lot of questions when it comes to What We Say and What We Do! Oftentimes, kindness, respect, and understanding are missing when we disagree. We protect ourselves from the other...Person? Ideas? Actions?
The phrase "I guess we agree to disagree" -- even when said kindly -- recognizes the barrier between us.
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| How do you make others feel? (Photo credit: Winnie the Pooh Addict, Facebook download) |
The dictionary lists many synonyms for Kind and Kindness -- compassionate, generosity, sympathy, tenderness -- but only one antonym -- cruel.
The choice might be very simple as we meet others and listen to their differing experiences:
- Do we want to show compassion... or cruelty?
- Do we want to be generous... or selfish?
- Do we want to sympathize... or ignore their humanity?
The contrasts are stark when looking at words and actions this way: we may be words and worlds apart!
We have a choice today: To Be Kind... or Not!
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| Larry Gardepie
Dialogue San Diego Consulting
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